Help pls with confusing Bombus

[Dillybythesea]

I'm looking at the nhm colour charts and thinking the yellow shoulders, and slight yellow patches at the hips, and reddish tail, shld make this a B. pratorum queen/worker? Except it doesn't seem to have a white tip to the tail, and does it actually look male? Or did I get confused and shoot two bees, although I thought it was the same. Oh dearrrrrrrr. Pls help!

[JRsbugs]

That is B. pratorum, the charts showing tips can be confusing but I think it's meant that there's no hairs on the very tip.

You can tell this one easily, by the size, then by the big dip in the collar band. One of yours doesn't have a yellow band on the abdomen, they can have a full band, broken or none. It could only really be confused with a small worker B. terrestris which has the native orange tail colour but the bands are mostly quite different and B. pratorum tends to be more shaggy haired.

Janet

[Dillybythesea]

Many thanks Janet! You make it sound so easy and natural!

[JRsbugs]

You're welcome!

I was like you once, but after looking at them for about 4 years it all starts to come together. Keep at it and keep looking.

[Dillybythesea]

Thanks Janet. It's certainly encouraging/ inspirational to see what can be achieved in four years! Also, getting to hear clues like those about B. pratorum versus small terrestris workers helps hugely. You're very kind. ATB, Dill.